Larry Day Sketchbook 1996 - 1997

This is a sketchbook made by Larry Day; it is not dated, but Day lived from 1921 to 1998. So, this book could have been made at any time during his life! It's the cover we see here, with its black spine and patterned front. What a gorgeous, swirling pattern of blues, greens, yellows, and reds! These colours aren't mixed, though. They are laid next to each other in repeated droplet shapes. I imagine the bookbinder carefully floating the paint on the surface of a shallow dish. There is something so satisfying about pattern-making; maybe it is related to the same satisfaction derived from the act of mark-making itself. I can imagine Day’s excitement when he first purchased this book. Or maybe he made it himself? Either way, I wonder what kinds of drawings it holds. The book itself becomes a source of inspiration, a catalyst for future creation. Artists are always building on each other’s creativity in an ongoing conversation.